Salem The Podcast

175. Essex Street (part 3)

Let's return to Essex Street! At the end of part 2, we stopped at the East India Square Fountain, so we will pick up there and wander all the way down to North Street. Today, you'd walk past apartments, Professor Spindlewinks, Count Orlok's, and Rockafellas. But if we could turn the (Almy's) clock back, we would see Almy's department store, flanked by banks, banks, and more banks! Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they explore more of Essex Street's past. What lay where the Ped Mall is today. And what would you see past Town House Square? Just how many grand theaters used to dot Essex Street? And what does the YMCA and Alexander Graham Bell have in common? Oh, and why on earth does Essex Street have a 4.1 rating on Trip Advisor?
 
Feel free to open google maps and walk with us as we continue on our journey.
Google Maps. “Directions to 42.5261979,-70.8841083.” Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/dir//42.5261979,-70.8841083/@42.5249201,-70.8860927,17.1z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDkxMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.
Streets of Salem. “Essex Street.” https://streetsofsalem.com/?s=Essex+Street.
Tripadvisor. “Essex Street Pedestrian Mall.” https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60954-d285562-Reviews-Essex_Street_Pedestrian_Mall-Salem_Massachusetts.html.
Salem State University Archives and Special Collections. “Paramount Theatre.” Salem State University LibGuides. https://libguides.salemstate.edu/home/archives/blog/Paramount-Theatre.
Patch. “History of Salem Movie Houses.” Salem Patch. https://patch.com/massachusetts/salem/history-of-salem-movie-houses.
Salem News. “Salem Eyes Two Options for Essex St. Pedestrian Mall.” https://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/salem-eyes-two-options-for-essex-st-pedestrian-mall/article_0d257e61-5b54-5bac-ac50-9e881a5ba46d.html.
Salem State Archives. “Salem State Archives Flickr Collection.” Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/salemstatearchives/albums/72157712998829238/with/49497726697.
History by the Sea. “Almshouse and Hospital for Contagious.” https://www.historybythesea.com/almshouse-and-hospital-for-contagious.
Salem State University. “Local Historian and Salem State Alumna Jen Ratliff Discovers Burial Site at Collins Cove.” Salem State University News. January 28, 2020. https://www.salemstate.edu/news/local-historian-and-salem-state-alumna-jen-ratliff-discovers-burial-site-collins-cove-jan-28-2020.
Hart, Donna Seger. “Evolving Essex Street.” Streets of Salem, June 22, 2015. https://streetsofsalem.com/2015/06/22/evolving-essex-street/.
Hart, Donna Seger. “On the Tavern Trail.” Streets of Salem, August 20, 2019. https://streetsofsalem.com/2019/08/20/on-the-tavern-trail/.
Salem Witch Museum. “Thomas Beadle’s Tavern (Site Of).” https://salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/thomas-beadles-tavern-site-of/.
National Park Service. “Narbonne House.” Last modified March 30, 2022. https://www.nps.gov/places/narbonne-house.htm.
The Naumkeag District Directory for Salem No. 3, 1886–1887. Salem, MA: Henry M. Meek, 1887.
 
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Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
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174. Holiday House Tour 2025

Salem doesn’t shut down after Halloween. Quite the opposite, in fact! During the winter months, Witch City plays host to so many fun holiday traditions, markets, events, and celebrations. But few compare to “Christmas in Salem.” On the first weekend of every December, Historic Salem Inc. presents a unique experience where we get to tour historic homes decorated for the holiday season. Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, as reminisce about the beautiful houses that were on this year's itinerary. Chestnut Street, Broad Street, the Pickering House... does it get much better than that?! Did we have a favorite? Any surprises along the way? Can you go see any of them yourselves? Yes, yes, and yes again!
 
https://www.historicsalem.org/
https://christmasinsalem.org/
 
Check out More Weight by Ben Wickey
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/796451/more-weight-a-salem-story-by-ben-wickey/
 
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Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com 
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Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

173. Interview: Amber Newberry, Owner of Die With Your Boots On

You know it, you love it, Salem's longest-standing goth style clothing, Die With Your Boots On! For almost a decade they have been “keeping Salem's dark subcultures in clothing as black as their hearts.” So let's meet the mastermind behind the brand: the writer, the poet, the musician, the fashionista herself, Amber Newberry. Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, for a sit-down with Amber. Learn how a girl from small-town Georgia made her way to the forefront of Salem’s modern, inclusive, goth fashion subculture. 
 
Follow on IG and TikTok!
@diewithbootson 
www.diewithyourbootson.com
www.theossuarysalem.com
 
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Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com
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Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
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License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

172. "John Proctor is the Villain" Review

From award-winning playwright Kimberly Bellflower comes a modern reimagining of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Set in rural Georgia in 2018; what does high school feminism, mixed with the #MeToo movement, and studying the Salem Witch Trials look like? Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they read through and reflect on this modern, feminist response to Arthur Miller's interpretation. We found it to be a masterful piece of art that shows just how important and relevant these stories are, especially in today's world.
TW: This episode, and the play, do contain discussions of sexual assault of minors. If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual assault please know you are not alone. 
Call: 1-656-4673
Text: Hope to 64673
https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/
 
“Help & Healing.” RAINN. Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK RAINN
“John Proctor Is the Villain: Official Site.” Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK
John Proctor Is the Villain – Official Trailer. YouTube video, (no date). Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK
“John Proctor Is the Villain,” YouTube. Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK
“Kimberly Belflower Playwright on John Proctor Is the Villain.” Los Angeles Times, May 21, 2025. LINK Los Angeles Times
John Proctor Is the Villain, play script. Scribd. Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK
“Track from John Proctor Is the Villain (Spotify).” Spotify. Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK
 
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Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com 
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com
 
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

171. Witch Trials: John Proctor (part 3)

John Proctor was hanged on August 19, 1692. His wife Elizabeth, while found guilty, received a stay of execution because of her pregnancy. We have covered accusations, arrests, jail time, family ties, but we're not done yet. Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they focus on what happened to Elizabeth Proctor and the struggles she faced after the trials. Let's wrap up the Proctor story.
 
Calef, Robert. More Wonders of the Invisible World. London, 1700.
“Farmhouse Fixer: Haunted Salem House Woman.” HGTV. Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK.
“John Proctor.” Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. University of Virginia Library. Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK.
“John Proctor House.” Salem Witch Museum. Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Viking Press, 1953.
Newspapers.com. The Boston Globe, October 4, 1902. LINK.
Newspapers.com. The Daily Item, August 10, 1992. LINK.
“PEM Blog: Behind the Scenes of Our Latest Salem Witch Trials Exhibition.” Peabody Essex Museum. Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK.
Perley, Sidney. History of Salem, Massachusetts. Vol. 1, Chapter 2. Salem, MA: Sidney Perley, 1924.
Roach, Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. New York: Cooper Square Press, 2002.
Rosenthal, Bernard. Salem Story: Reading the Witch Trials of 1692. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
“Standing Attainders from the Salem Witch Trials.” Wikipedia. Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK.
Upham, Charles W. Salem Witchcraft; With an Account of Salem Village and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects. Boston: Wiggin and Lunt, 1867.
 
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Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com 
 
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

170. Touring the Pickering House

Nestled under the shade of a copper beech, with its iconic spired fence and captivating gables, sits a rare gem of American history. The Pickering House is the oldest, continuously lived in home in the United States, with over 350 years of stories, it stands as a testimony to the enormity of Salem’s history. Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they take a tour of this iconic landmark led by the current caretaker and Executive Director of the Pickering House: Vijay Joyce. A wealth of knowledge, Vijay teaches us about the Pickering family, the house itself, the land, the ties to the Revolutionary War, and even the Treaty of Canandaigua. From playing host to George Washington himself, to recently appearing in People Magazine as a wedding venue, The Pickering House has it all! 
https://www.pickeringfoundation.org
 
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Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com 
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Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

169. Witch Trials: John Proctor (part 2)

We left off last time with the arrest of Elizabeth Proctor. So now our story continues with the accusations against her, which very quickly spread to her husband, John Proctor. It's no longer just women, it's no longer just Salem, the fear of the Devil has spread. Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they recap testimony, petitions, and sift through accusations and evidence surrounding the Proctor family. What made John different? What made him stand out? Was it just chance and bad timing, or was it something more?
Calef, Robert. More Wonders of the Invisible World. London, 1700.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Viking Press, 1953.
Perley, Sidney. History of Salem, Massachusetts, Vol. 1, Chapter 2. Salem, MA: Sidney Perley, 1924.
Roach, Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. New York: Cooper Square Press, 2002.
Rosenthal, Bernard. Salem Story: Reading the Witch Trials of 1692. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
Upham, Charles W. Salem Witchcraft; With an Account of Salem Village and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects. Boston: Wiggin and Lunt, 1867.
“John Proctor House.” Salem Witch Museum. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/john-proctor-house/.
“John Proctor.” Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. University of Virginia Library. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/tag/proctor_john.html
 
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Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com 
 
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

168. Witch Trials: John Proctor (part 1)

October may be over, but history persists! And we're getting back into the Salem Witch Trials. Executed on August 19th 1692, John Proctor may be one of the most famous names associated with Salem, but does he deserve the fame? Join your favorite Salem tour guides as they tackle the first part of this man's life. From his arrival to the Massachusetts Bay Colony at the age of three, to his life as a father, farmer, and tavern owner. 
Ancestry.com. “Image Viewer; Collection: U.S., Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620–1988; Image: 42521_b158316-00653; Person ID 39002.” Accessed October 17, 2025. LINK.
Ancestry.com. “John Proctor (Family Tree: Person ID 162041549397).” Accessed October 17, 2025. LINK.
Calef, Robert. More Wonders of the Invisible World. London, 1700.
“Cheers to History!” Peabody Historical Society, December 2021. Accessed October 17, 2025. LINK.
“Elizabeth Proctor.” Wikipedia. Accessed October 17, 2025. LINK.
“Great Migration Passengers of the Susan and Ellen (1635) — Project ID 15966.” Geni. Accessed October 17, 2025. LINK.
“John Proctor — Salem Witchcraft Trials.” Famous Trials. Accessed October 17, 2025. LINK.
“John Proctor House.” Salem Witch Museum. Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK.
“John Proctor Jr. (1632–1692).” Find A Grave. Accessed October 17, 2025. LINK.
“John Proctor of Ipswich.” Historic Ipswich. Accessed October 17, 2025. LINK.
“John Proctor.” Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. University of Virginia Library. Accessed November 11, 2025. LINK.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Viking Press, 1953.
Perley, Sidney. History of Salem, Massachusetts. Vol. 1, Chapter 2. Salem, MA: Sidney Perley, 1924.
Roach, Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. New York: Cooper Square Press, 2002.
Rosenthal, Bernard. Salem Story: Reading the Witch Trials of 1692. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
“SWP No. 106: Elizabeth Proctor.” Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. University of Virginia. Accessed October 17, 2025. LINK.
“Mary Towne Estey 1692.” Primate Fiasco. YouTube video, 5:13, 2021. Accessed October 17, 2025. LINK.
“The Witchcraft Trial of John Proctor, First Male Accused of Witchcraft at Salem.” History of Massachusetts, October 27, 2011. Accessed October 17, 2025. LINK.
Upham, Charles W. Salem Witchcraft; With an Account of Salem Village and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects. Boston: Wiggin and Lunt, 1867.
 
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Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Tours
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Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

167. Movie Review: The Salem Chronicles

It's movie review time! Sarah learned about a new direct-to-streaming movie set in Salem. We looked at the premise, we watched the trailer, and we were EXCITED. That excitement didn’t last though because this movie was... something. Just how bad was it?? There's only one way to find out - watch it yourself. If already have, we're sorry! And if you haven't, you've been warned. But to save you from that horror we've done a full review, both historically and cinematically. Join your favorite Salem tour guides as they review this disaster of a movie.
 
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Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com 
 
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

166. 2025 October Check-In (part 2)

Hello from the busy streets of Witch City! Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem pumpkins, as they waddle their way around downtown to chat with visitors, workers, and street performers.
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Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com
 
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com 
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com
 
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE